US President Donald Trump has repeated his claims that he played a role in halting military tensions between India and Pakistan last year by threatening severe trade penalties. Speaking at inaugural session of the ‘Board of Peace’ in Washington on Thursday (February 19), he described how he warned both New Delhi and Islamabad of steep tariffs if they did not bring hostilities to an end.

He said the conflict was intense and that fighter planes were “being shot down” during the standoff. He claimed he personally called both leaders (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif) and that his warnings about tariffs and trade consequences persuaded them to de‑escalate. He added that he already knew them to some extent and that he was familiar with PM Modi in particular.

He said he threatened to impose tariffs as high as 200 percent on both countries as part of a strategy to deter further escalation between the two countries in May 2025. “I called them and I said, ‘Listen, I am not doing trade deals with you two if you do not settle this up’.

He claimed that rather than military talks, economic pressure was the decisive factor in ending the brief confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

“And all of a sudden, we worked out a deal. I said, ‘If you fight, I am going to put 200 percent tariffs on each of your countries.’ They both wanted to fight. But when it came to money, there is nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we do not want to fight… 11 jets were shot down. Very expensive jets.”

At the same event, the US president said that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed gratitude, telling his staff that Trump had “saved 25 million lives” by intervening in the situation.

Trump has reiterated this narrative repeatedly over recent months, citing similar tariff threats in statements to reporters and at public forums. He has time and again asserted that punitive trade measures were used to end not only this conflict but other global tensions as well.

New Delhi has consistently dismissed the claim that any third party mediated the ceasefire or played a role in de-escalation. The government has maintained that the decision to end hostilities was taken directly by the military leadership of both India and Pakistan after intense ground and aerial engagements that lasted several days. There has been no official confirmation from either New Delhi or Islamabad supporting Trump’s version of events.

Analysts said that Trump’s repeated assertions appear aimed at highlighting his use of economic leverage as a foreign policy tool, particularly in a period ahead of domestic political contests where strong leadership on international issues is often emphasised in his rhetoric.

Trump’s statements come at a time when the United States is promoting its newly formed ‘Board of Peace’ initiative, a forum he launched in Washington, bringing together world leaders and representatives on issues of conflict resolution.

During the launch event, Trump also talked about US diplomatic engagement, though critics have questioned some of the claims and pointed out the lack of independent verification.